Construction activities often involve removal of topsoil and compaction of the exposed soil by heavy equipments. Such compacted soils with low organic matter can lead to low infiltration and poor vegetation establishment. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tillage (shallow till) and compost on soil physical and biological properties in a hydroseeded lawn as a post-construction best management practice for soil compaction remediation. The experimental site received a total of four land treatments in five replicated trials and it was hydroseeded with common Bermuda grass: 1) No Tillage + Compost (NT-C), 2) No Tillage + No Compost (NT-NC; control), 3) Tillage + Compost (T-C), and 4) Tillage + No Compost (T-NC). Bulk density (BD), infiltration rate (IR), and wet aggregate stability (WAS) in each plot were measured to assess soil physical properties while soil organic matter (SOM) and enzyme activity (β-glucosidase, acid-phosphatase, and alkaline-phosphatase) were measured for soil biological properties. Over a 15-months of monitoring period, the shallow tillage loosened the soil initially, but its effect on BD without compost was diminished to control plot level (NT-NC) within 4 months after hydroseeding. Both tillage and compost led to an increase in IR, and it remained higher than control by 2 - 3 times throughout the observation period. The WAS and β-glucosidase activity decreased in tilled plot unless there was compost application. Turfgrass showed greener leaves and aggregated roots in the compost-amended plots (NT-C and T-C). Our results suggest that compost application plays a key role in improving soil physical and biological properties in hydroseeded lawns from construction sites.
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